Would Grey Improve This?

7 years ago

Hey all,

This hallway runs right through the heart of the property (large rooms off to both sides). It runs the entire length of the house from front to back and it is facing North (in the Southern hemisphere so it should be treated as facing South as per Northern hemisphere rules).

This photo is taken from the back door facing down to the front door (north). The two large rooms to the sides are the drawing room and morning room with large windows and lots of light.

I am wanting to do a grey scheme (with blue and mustard) in those two rooms. Would you advise me to do a mid-grey paint in those two rooms with a light grey in the hallway (also running upstairs into the upstairs hallway)?

The walls are beautifully finished so paint seems a better choice than paper. Also I will probably have the floors redone in a warm walnut stain (they are too light for my taste right now).

I want the house overall to have a sense of masculinity and it will be using mostly transitional furniture.

I don't mind the cream that is there but I prefer grey - particularly as there is so much bright sunlight through the core and front of the house - it makes the cream very buttery and it stands out. I think grey would cool it down to give a more natural beautiful soft cool light throughout.

Here are some greys I like that could work:

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Featured Answer

duffyp2

7 years ago

I've used cornforth white and some other greys. My advice would be to try large patches of testers at different points in the hall, because even apparently subtly different greys interact with warm and cold light sources to create quite different mood effects. I found that I didn't choose the greys I thought I wanted after looking at testers at different time of day, in different light conditions.

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Comments (33)

Claire Herrington
7 years ago
In my opinion grey would be fab, love the shades you've chosen. Grey walls, white skirting and ceiling, warm wood floors... beautiful. Go for it!
Jamie Frater thanked Claire Herrington
headers13
7 years ago
I think the grey would look absolutely stunning. The photos you have chosen look great. Go for it.
Jamie Frater thanked headers13
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minnie101
7 years ago
Grey would work. A couple of really good colours are Benjamin Moore Revere Pewter (last photo) or farrow and ball elephants breath. You could also consider painting the inside of the front door a darker shade of grey which will bring it in a little and should make it feel wider. I'd also consider how you hang art to make the hall feel wider or use mirrors or panelling can work well.
minnie101
7 years ago
I can only see a couple of lights but you could consider staggered pendant lights too
craigwoallan
7 years ago
I'm a huge fan of grey right now so I would definitely say go for it. We recently painted our hallway in the centre of the house - ground and upper floors, with not a huge amount of natural light, a light grey. The colour before was a kind of peach over the walls skirting everywhere (not ours) The grey against crisp white skirting and ceilings looks very slick. and has lifted the whole space to be very light and welcoming.

I love the colour in the 3rd photo you added with the herringbone floor.
Ludo Gallagher
7 years ago
Any colour would work as it's a good space. If you want to do something different so the hall stands out from the rooms the just paint half way up the wall from the floor.
Rachel Oakes
7 years ago
Personally, I think grey is on its way out. Everyone has it now, so it's lost any classiness it may have had.
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Create Perfect
7 years ago
Grey will be fine. It will be around for a while and will just change what is best paired with and in what quantities. It's a great easy colour to live with and to match with *any* other colour as required.
I would go for it and as someone else said, match with lovely tall white skirting boards. It will also look great with the floor colour your suggesting. I look forward to seeing finished look.
Jamie Frater thanked Create Perfect
PRO
Croydon Window Company Ltd
7 years ago
Grey would look great in your space!
Joanna Biddolph
7 years ago
It needs a bit of drama so I'd go for a darker grey. However, I'm worried about how your paintings/pictures will look. They seem to have been chosen to go with the buttery cream. Should you choose a colour that is in the paintings? A rust red or really deep mustard?
Jamie Frater
Original Author
7 years ago
Joanna: those aren't my paintings - this is a photo from the sale literature for the property. Having said that, I collect art and do not use the interior colors of my house to decide what to buy: I buy what I love and what will appreciate in value (big name artists). The hallway will be a gallery of mixed artworks by different artists and styles.
Jamie Frater
Original Author
7 years ago
Joanna: I forgot to say that I was planning to use Purbeck Stone for the hallways and Cornforth white for the drawing room and morning room which get the most direct hot sun.

Purbeck Stone:

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Cornforth White:

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Joanna Biddolph
7 years ago
Jamie, I wasn't suggesting that people should buy their artwork to suit their decor - I have an eclectic mix that puzzles many and know that the best way to buy art is to buy what you love. However, in some cases I do paint my walls to suit my paintings (the other way round from what you thought I meant) to show them at their best. In saying that, it is basically to ensure that there isn't a horrendous clash though a colourful mix suits me and is my preference. I thought that, if they were your paintings and if you wanted to make them work in the newly painted hall, choosing a colour within them might be the way to go. I have just painted my bedroom a deep teal/blue and one painting in particular looks utterly amazing as a result. It always looks fantastic but now it looks stunning; the colour has brought out the best in it. That's what I meant.
Jamie Frater
Original Author
7 years ago
Joanna: ah sorry for misunderstanding! The paintings that I am likely to hang there all have a bit of blue in them, and blue and mustard are going to be my accent colors for the house so I think it will work without planning in any event!
sam J
7 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago

I would recommend grey as i have just finished using Dulux Chic Shadow in my Hall Landing and stairway, i have added a feature wall which is of brightly coloured wallpaper. The grey makes all the white woodwork pop and you having grey in the adjoing rooms would be perfect.
Jamie Frater
Original Author
7 years ago
duffy: I'll try a few of the greys to make sure that I get the right color. I am actually hoping the light differences from front to back will add interest to the various uses of the grey through the house.
Tim Price
7 years ago
I wonder whether grey would make it look like a utility corridor such as in a hospital basement.
Jamie Frater
Original Author
7 years ago
Tim: I don't think it would - that photo is deceptive. This is it from the front entrance - as you can see there is enough interest in the shapes of the foyer (front and rear) and stairwell to give it character.
Sonia
7 years ago
Grey would look fab! I've used Dulux Egyptian Cotton which is a warm mushroom grey and I love it.
j_walsh46
7 years ago
Grey would look lovely. It's refreshing (clean but not clinical) especially in a welcoming room like a hallway. And although it's a narrow long area the blue and mustard would bring depth to the area. Go for it.
Emma Neppl
7 years ago
Am I the only one who likes the warmth of the walls and wooden flooring? :-)
PRO
Pat Oliver Interior Design
7 years ago
No, you're not the only one. As much as I like grey, using it in a narrow hallway will make the space close in and feel colder. Why not use the mustard of the 2 rooms off the hall to create a link and keep things warm in the hall. Make sure you test colours under artificial light as well as during the day.
cavgirl
7 years ago
Have you checked out F&B Mizzle and Cromarty? Both can look grey. They can also look green and even blue depending on the light. The more you starve them of light, the greyer they get. Lovely colours, I'm dying to use them myself.
Steven Root
7 years ago
Hi be very careful with grey it can look like a morgue there's definitely to much out there
Joanna Biddolph
7 years ago
I agree, Emma and Pat. I responded suggesting a darker grey because I felt it was grey or grey. I would capitalise on all that lovely light and space and use a colour that has a lift in it. The long section could do with some drama, as I said in my initial comment.
PRO
V.I.P Walls Interior Specialist
7 years ago
We want to get in there and give it some much needed character. Our wall paneling would really set that off with a touch of class. The colour of the panels could be Like the attachments. This was a project we did a few months back. Stunning from what was very plain flat Walls . Once you see our panels up they can transform any home . The value in wow factor and improvement in the houses value far outweighs our costs . Simply stunning
Jamie Frater thanked V.I.P Walls Interior Specialist
Jamie Frater
Original Author
7 years ago
VIP Walls - I am definitely thinking of adding panelling to some of the rooms - but I was thinking of a more minimalist approach like this David Linley treatment:

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j_walsh46
7 years ago
Love the idea of paneling especially if you use two different shades of grey. You'll still achieve the minimalist effect ,adding the mustard and blue
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V.I.P Walls Interior Specialist
7 years ago
Well we could help you out either way if you would like picture rail and dado we can help you. You Have great taste.
Jamie Frater thanked V.I.P Walls Interior Specialist
tezz4
6 years ago
I'm not a fan of grey any more it becomes depressing after some time. Also looks like a black and white photo in the pics. Not a fan of fancy wallpaper either especially if a lot of art is going to be hung - it will distract. I have turned to colours of stone recently - pale taupes would grace this hallway and the art.
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Floor Monster
6 years ago
Hi there,

What about a grey engineered flooring? This would allow you to incorporate grey will still being able to paint the walls in a vibrant colour.

We have two grey engineered boards:

Tundra

Bethel

We would be more than happy to send you out FREE samples.

You can get in touch via email, info@floormonster.co.uk or you can call our direct number on 0141 887 5698.

Kind Regards,

Floor Monster
PRO
Celery. Visualization, Rendering images
6 years ago